For many businesses across Africa, especially in Nigeria, managing payroll, HR, and compliance can be a serious challenge. WorkPay has emerged as a popular solution, offering tools to streamline employee management, payments, and statutory deductions. But it’s not the only option out there. Depending on your business size, budget, or regional focus, you might be looking for something more localized, more affordable, or simply better suited to your operational needs.
In this article, we explore the Top 5 WorkPay alternatives that offer smart, scalable payroll and HR solutions for African businesses. Whether you’re a startup navigating compliance, a growing company expanding across borders, or a business looking for something more intuitive, then these WorkPay alternatives might just be what you need.
If you’re searching for the best WorkPay alternatives for Nigerian businesses, this guide will help you compare, assess, and find a platform that fits your goals.
5 WorkPay Alternatives for African businesses
PaidHr
PaidHr is one of the foremost Nigerian HR and payroll platforms built specifically for businesses operating within the Nigerian regulatory and tax system. It offers an intuitive interface that helps companies automate payroll processes, generate payslips, and handle compliance tasks such as PAYE, pension, and NHF deductions with ease. Designed for SMEs and growth-stage companies, PaidHr offers a balance of simplicity and functionality, making it a strong contender among the top 5 WorkPay alternatives.
One of its standout features is its seamless integration with Nigerian banks, allowing for easy salary disbursements and statutory remittances. PaidHr also includes basic employee records management, leave tracking, and tax reporting, enabling HR teams to reduce manual work and stay compliant.
Pricing
PaidHr offers three plans on its pricing page: standard, enterprise, and custom. None of its pricing is available for any of the plans.
Pros:
- Designed for Nigerian tax and compliance systems
- Intuitive and beginner-friendly interface
- Quick setup with minimal onboarding time
- Bank integration for local salary payments
Cons:
- Lacks some advanced HR features like performance tracking
- Limited integrations with broader accounting or ERP tools
If you’re searching for the best WorkPay alternatives for Nigerian businesses, PaidHr is a solid choice, especially for companies focused on local payroll compliance and simplicity.
NotchHr
NotchHR (formerly MyXalary) is a comprehensive HR and payroll platform tailored for Nigerian businesses seeking to automate and streamline their HR processes. Designed to cater to organizations of all sizes, NotchHR offers a suite of tools that simplify payroll computation, tax and pension remittances, and employee management.
Pricing
NotchHR provides a range of options with its pricing structure:
- HR Essentials: Free for up to 10 employees earning below ₦150,000 monthly net income.
- HR Basic
- HR Standard
- HR Premium
Each plan has more features the higher they get, it also provides add-on features for an extra fee, but none of these fees are easily available on their pricing page.
Pros:
- Offers modules for payroll, recruitment, performance management, and more.
- Designed for ease of use, reducing the learning curve for HR teams.
- Suitable for small startups to large enterprises, with features that grow with your business.
Cons:
- Some advanced features, like the Time Tracker and Recruitment module, come at extra costs.
- May not integrate seamlessly with all external accounting or ERP systems.
For Nigerian businesses exploring the best WorkPay alternatives, NotchHR stands out with its robust offerings and localized solutions.
Zoho people
Zoho People is a cloud-based HR management system designed to streamline HR processes for businesses of all sizes. It offers a comprehensive suite of tools, including employee database management, time and attendance tracking, performance appraisals, and learning management systems. Its modular design allows businesses to customize features according to their specific needs.
Pricing
Zoho People provides a range of pricing plans to accommodate different business requirements:
- Free Plan: Available for up to 5 users, includes basic HR functions like employee database and leave management.
- Essential HR: ₦400/user/month (billed annually), adds onboarding and document management features.
- Professional: ₦800/user/month (billed annually), includes attendance tracking, timesheets, and shift scheduling.
- Premium: ₦1,200/user/month (billed annually), offers performance management and advanced analytics.
- Enterprise: ₦2,000/user/month (billed annually), adds features like learning management systems and HR help desk.
Pros:
- Offers a wide range of HR functionalities, from basic employee management to advanced performance tracking.
- Allows businesses to tailor processes to their specific needs.
- Suitable for small startups to large enterprises, with features that grow with your business.
Cons:
- Initial configuration can be challenging for businesses without dedicated IT support.
- While it offers extensive HR features, payroll integration may require additional setup or third-party tools.
- Some users report that the mobile application lacks the full functionality of the desktop version.
For Nigerian businesses seeking a robust and scalable HR solution, Zoho People stands out among the best WorkPay alternatives, offering a flexible platform that can adapt to diverse organizational needs.
Seamless HR
SeamlessHR is a comprehensive, cloud-based HR and payroll platform designed to meet the needs of African businesses, particularly in Nigeria. It offers an integrated suite of tools that streamline HR processes from recruitment to retirement, including modules for payroll management, performance tracking, time and attendance, and employee benefits.
Pricing
SeamlessHR provides tiered pricing plans tailored to different organizational needs:
- Lite: Includes core HR functionalities like HR Information System (HRIS), employee self-service, approval workflows, advanced reporting, mobile apps, organizational structure management, leave management, and payroll processing.
- Core: Builds upon the Lite plan by adding performance and potential management, as well as requisition and expense claim features.
- Advantage: Offers all features in the Core plan, plus time and attendance tracking, disciplinary management, and exit/offboarding management.
- Custom: Allows for personalized solutions with selectable modules and ERP integrations.
Pricing details are available upon request, with costs varying based on the selected modules and the size of the organization.
seamlesshr.com
Pros:
- Offers a wide range of HR functionalities, from basic employee management to advanced performance tracking.
- Designed to meet Nigerian statutory requirements, including tax computations and pension remittances.
- Provides payroll financing options in Nigeria and Kenya, assisting businesses in managing cash flow.
- Seamlessly integrates with existing ERP platforms like Microsoft, Sage, SAP, and Oracle.
Cons:
- Exact pricing details are not publicly disclosed, requiring potential clients to request a quote.
- Some advanced features are only available in higher-tier plans, which may not be cost-effective for smaller businesses.
For Nigerian businesses seeking a robust and scalable HR solution, SeamlessHR stands out among the best WorkPay alternatives, offering a flexible platform that can adapt to diverse organizational needs.
SalarioPay
SalarioPay is a fast-rising Nigerian payroll and HR software designed specifically for SMEs across Nigeria. With a focus on simplicity, automation, and local compliance, SalarioPay helps businesses streamline payroll processing, eliminate manual spreadsheets, and manage statutory deductions like PAYE, pension, and NHF with ease. Unlike many generalized HR platforms, SalarioPay was built with the Nigerian business environment in mind, making it a strong and highly relevant contender among the Top 5 WorkPay alternatives.
The platform offers intuitive dashboards, payslip generation, and real-time salary calculations. It also supports bulk salary payments and integrates with Nigerian banks for direct deposits. One standout feature is its user-friendly self-service portal, which gives employees access to their payslips and payment history, minimizing HR admin time.
Pricing
SalarioPay offers affordable and transparent pricing plans designed to accommodate small to mid-sized businesses. There are three available tiers, the first tier priced at ₦500 per employee per month, the second tier priced at ₦1,500 per employee per month, and the highest tier priced at ₦4,000 per employee per month.
Pros:
- Built specifically for Nigerian compliance (PAYE, NHF, pensions)
- Extremely user-friendly and easy to onboard
- Direct salary disbursements to Nigerian bank accounts
- Ideal for schools, SMEs, and non-technical HR teams
Cons:
- Still growing its feature set compared to global tools
- Currently more focused on payroll than broader HR modules (e.g., performance management)
For businesses prioritizing simplicity, compliance, and strong local support, SalarioPay ranks among the best WorkPay alternatives for Nigerian businesses, one that continues to evolve with the market’s needs.
Conclusion
Finding the right HR and payroll solution is crucial for growing businesses in Africa, especially those operating in Nigeria’s complex tax and compliance landscape. While WorkPay is a solid choice, the top 5 WorkPay alternatives explored in this guide offer localized, flexible, and sometimes more affordable options tailored to regional needs.
Among them, SalarioPay stands out for its ease of use, Nigeria-specific compliance features, and commitment to supporting SMEs and schools. If you’re looking to simplify payroll without compromising accuracy or control, SalarioPay is worth taking a closer look at.
Book a demo today and see how effortless payroll can be.